Spread sheet



y 1952 H. E. HOOE 2,598,379

SPREAD SHEET Original Filed April 4, 1947 Fla. 4

L L L m INVENTOR. fizz/v7 E. #00:

/ l mm Patented- May 27, 1952 SPREAD SHEET Hunter E. Hooe, Athens, Ohio, assignor to The McBee Company, Athens, Ohio, a corporation Substituted for abandoned application Serial No.

739,451, April 4, 1947. This 4, 1951, Serial No. 219,195

. 1 Claim. 1

This application is a substitution for my application Serial No. 739,451 filed April 4, 1947, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to spread sheets whose component sheets are movably connected to each other to permit their relative spreading for the purpose of exposing part of the surfaces of the underlying component sheets.

Heretofore, the component sheets of a spread sheet have been slidably interlocked with each other through the use of additional devices, adding to the complexity of the spread sheet, limiting the number of component sheets which can be effectively incorporated in a spread sheet, enabling component sheets to become readily and inadvertently disconnected, and resulting in a comparatively loosely joined arrangement difiicult to maintain in alignment with the component sheets are spread.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present in vention to provide an improved and effective spread sheet which overcomes the aforenoted disadvantages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spread sheet Whose component sheets are slidably interlocked with each other by elements integral with, and constituting parts of, the sheets themselves, and without the necessity for employing any additional devices.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a component sheet prior to its connection to another component sheet.

Fig. 2 is a partial isometric view of the connection of one sheet to another.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of two sheets coupled together prior to folding of the flaps of one sheet over one another.

Fig. 4 is a front isometric view of a group of component sheets in spread position.

As disclosed in the drawings, the spread sheet includes a plurality of superposed component sheets l0, each of which is preferably of rectangular shape and which may be made of suitable material, such as paper and the like, depending upon the specific manner in which the spread sheet is to be employed. Usually, the material is paper. Each sheet consists of a main body portion I I on which suitable printed matter, lines, columns, etc., are to be placed, an end flap l2 foldable along a line l3 parallel to an edge Hi of the sheet, and an intermediate flap I5 foldable along a second line It parallel to the sheet edge.

application April In effect, each component sheet [0, when folded in interlocking relation with another sheet, may be considered as h'avingthree flaps, namely, a main body flap ll, an intermediate flap l5 and an end flap l2.

The intermediate flap I5 is provided with a guide slot I1 extending across the paper and bounded by two parallel lines [8, l8 terminating inwardly of the side edges I9 of the paper. A

guide or retaining strip 20 may be disposed in this slot, being integral at its ends with the intermediate flap l5, and actually formed by two parallel line cuts I8 in the paper defining the sides of the slot I1.

Each sheet II) also has a pair, or apluralityof pairs, of opposed tabs or tongues 2| formed therein in any suitable manner, as by arcuate or semi-circular paper cuts 22. It is to be understood, however, that the paper cuts 22 may be variously shaped and proportioned to form different shapes and sizes of tabs 2|. The tabs 2! of each pair extend in opposite directions and are each adapted for pivoted or swinging movement about a hinge line 23 running along the ends of its out 22. Such hinge lines 23 are substantially parallel to each other and to the sides iii of the guide slot ll, being spaced apart a distance substantially equalling the width of the guide slot IT. A line 24 midway between the hinge lines 23 of an opposed pair of tabs 2| is spaced from the hinge line It of the intermediate flap I5 a distance substantially equal to the distance of the center line 25 of the guide slot from the flap hinge line It. It is to be noted that the length of the slot I! is substantially greater than the overall distance :0 across the tabs 2| along their hinge lines 23 to permit spreading of the sheets H1.

The component sheets ID are interlocked with each other by projecting the tabs 2! on an underlying sheet forwardly of the plane of the paper by swinging them toward each other about their hinge lines 23. These tabs are then inserted through the opposite line cuts 18 defining the guide slot I7 and guide member 20, in the manner disclosed in Fig. 2, whereupon they are folded back away from each other against the back face of an adjacent component sheet flap l5 (see Fig. 3). The end flap l2 of such adjacent, component sheet may then be folded over the tabs 2| to hold them in flattened position against such upper sheet, and the main body flap portion H of the adjacent sheet swung downwardly about the hinge line [6 over the end flap l2 to hold it in position against the tabs 2|.

In this manner, adjacent component sheets I!) are interlocked with respect to one another. Additional sheets may be interlocked with one another in the same fashion until the desired number of component sheets has been provided to form the spread sheet.

The tabs omone-eomponentsheet are-effectively guided by the sides-l8 of the slot: H of anradjacent component sheet without the aid of the guide or retaining strip 20. This strip, however, also assists in holding the several sheetsuin proper assembled relation since they function as a barrier to removal of,- theetabsiz l; thllqllgh the slot H.

The plurality. of pairs of tabs zi. extend equi distantly on both sides of the.vertiflall merlinfi of each sheet, but, as noted above, their overall;

distance a: is less than the length of the guide slot I'L This enables the component sheets tosbe spread in both directions from an overlying central coincidentepesit on y he d stance. hat ne; sheet may mnv 'bei re-theputersid s f the hst neaee e ends Qtthehne cuts fi ing the 'guide slot 11' and member 20.

Such distance is selected so as to produce the exposureoi the desired extent of margin; on each component sheet (see Fig. 4):, depending upon thepri-nted matterthatmayhave been placed on the sheets and theircolumnar arrangement. Such: margins are preferably .of. the same width on eachvcomponent'sheet to enable ready comparisonflor entry of dataor information on the sh e s tone mad Any component sheet l0 may beremoved througha; reversal of, the-procedure required in efiect nei s assemb y-Quai ad acent sheet; It i swparticularly to; be noted that. the sheets, are assemb ed-e esultoi stheeformat onloi the parts m he. he t mater alitselil. whichpart remain'int ial withzthesheeti No add tional devicesyare employed izvl'iats ever, thereby simplijying; the spread sheet; making; it less cumbersome and more easily assembled. and disassembled: and enabling the parts to slidably engage and interlock with one another in comparatively snug fashion, which holds them in alignment when in spread condition, assuring greater accuracy in making entries on the sheet or in comparing figures or data which may have been recorded thereon. The spread sheets cannot become -inadverten-tly'disconnected :since the tabs. 21 are held downwardly by-thefiaps l2 and also by the main flap portion ll of each adjacent component sheet itself. The end flaps l2 assist in.holding the tabs downwardly, but their use is not indispensable since the adjacent spread sheet will, by vitself, hold the tabs in flattened positienra einst 'tllficilltermediate flap is. The use of the end flap l2 ,is,preferred, however; since it providesua smoothguninterrupted surface along whichgthetabsjl slide, preventing their possible entanglement with the tabs of an adjacent sheet or the, notches which such tabs leave when insorted through a slot I1.

While I have illustrated and described my--invention in detail, it is --to-be understQQd that various changes may be made thereimby thoseskilled in theart without clepartingiromhthe: spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claim.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent. is:

A spread sheet comprising a,pluralitypf component sheets, each, component sheet, comprisins a. body portion upon which characters may be inscribed, adjacent outer .andfinnerflapsintegral therewith, said :inner flap-being provided with a pair ofv-parallelslots, and .asplurality. of pairs of oppositelydisposed and hinged tabs formed in the body portion adiacent the inner flap, a j en pairs oi Qmp n ntheets eine slidablyinterconnected, by receptionof .the tabs of one, sheet within the slotsflof theother, sheet, and the outer flap of each componentsheet being folded back against thev tabs, of anhadjacent sheet.

HUNTER E." HQOE;

No references cited, 

